New Windows 10 flagship arrives: Acer's Liquid Jade Primo

So far, the only Windows 10 phones to support the feature have been the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL. Acer still hasn't said when the handset will ship to the US. However, the Liquid Jade Primo will gradually be rolled out to other regions after arriving in EMEA where it will be available from €569 ($613).

The handset features a 5.5-inch full HD AMOLED display, placing it exactly between the 5.7-inch Lumia 950 XL and the 5.2-inch Lumia 950. Apps run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 808 processor, as opposed to the Lumia flagship duo's Snapdragon 810. The Jade Primo also features 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory, in line with the Lumia handsets. Also on par with Microsoft's flagship duo, the Jade Primo has a 21-megapixel (MP) main camera with dual LED flash, and supports up to 4k video recording, and an 8MP selfie-snapper that supports up to 1,080p video recording. Acer hasn't revealed all the specifications yet and says they will vary by region. It remains unknown whether the Liquid Jade Primo will include a micro SD slot, or what type of battery it will feature. But it does support LTE Cat. 6 and 802.11ac MIMO connectivity for faster downloads.

Like Android handsets in Acer's Liquid Jade range, the Liquid Jade Primo's curved corners and back cover contrast with the hard-edged Lumia flagships. The rear and front covers also have a hairline-brushed finish and feature the signature rounded speaker on the rear of the device. Acer highlights that the device will work with Microsoft's Display Dock to enable Continuum when connected with a USB Type-C monitor, and suggests the ability to use the device as both a touchpad and virtual keyboard opens up the potential for business travellers to simply leave their heavier laptop at home while on the road.

Also unknown at this stage is whether the Liquid Jade Primo will support Microsoft's Windows Hello biometric authentication, as the Lumia flagships do. However, Acer says it does support full encryption of data stored on internal memory thanks to Windows 10 Mobile's BitLocker. It also supports Microsoft Intune for mobile device management. The arrival of the first high-end third-party Windows 10 phone is good news for Microsoft, which has failed to attract OEMs to its mobile platform, leaving it with what analysts expect will be a stubbornly low market share in the foreseeable future.

Still, Microsoft boasted yesterday that its overall Windows 10 rollout has been its swiftest to date and claimed that demand for the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL "outstripped supply".